DUBAI — The Board of the Middle East and North Africa Leisure Attractions Council (MENALAC), the leisure and entertainment industry council representing the Middle East’s growing leisure attractions sector, has appointed Rosa Tahmaseb as new secretary-general, effective from June 2020. Tahmaseb, an industry veteran with over 20 years of experience brings with her a wide range of expertise in the leisure, attractions and events industries. In her long and versatile career, she has been involved in the planning and development of the famous Millennium Dome in London, managing the operations of the first ever super-sized carnivals to showcase in Hong Kong and Singapore, the development, launch and management of multiple Observation Wheels in the UK, Australia and Europe and the management contract for all Thomas the Tank Engine Day’s Out events across the UK. Her more recent roles have seen Tahmaseb accept the role of general manager for Mellors Entertainment in Dubai, responsible for all the rides, games and attractions at Global Village until 2015 after which she accepted a role with Embed International as their managing director for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Over the course of her career and involvement in the Middle East Leisure Market, Tahmaseb has been able to build very strong relationships with numerous operators, vendors and government bodies which will be a great help as she starts her new role with MENALAC. Tahmaseb replaces Prakash Vivekanand, the first and outgoing secretary-general of MENALAC, following the successful completion of his tenure. He was the founding secretary general of MENALAC, which was established in 2016. Welcoming Tahmaseb, Vivekanand said, “MENALAC has grown in stature as a council in the past four years and the time is now perfect for the Council to have a dedicated full-time secretary-general. In Rosa we have a terrific candidate with rich experience in the MENA and Global leisure industry. “She brings her leadership to MENALAC at a crucial time when the global entertainment industry is witnessing a major challenge in operations due to the Covid-19 pandemic which might redefine the industry as it reopens gradually. I am confident that she will steer the industry out of the situation into a strong position in the next few years.” The transition comes at a time when the leisure attractions industry in the Middle East and North Africa started to re-open after a three-month shutdown due to the outbreak of Coronavirus. MENALAC has issued a series of health and safety guidance for the amusement and theme parks as well as the family entertainment centers in order to ensure health and safety of the customers. MENALAC members have been advised to implement the new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that ensure health and safety of employees, customers and all stakeholders, training of the staffs on the new requirements as strong hygiene practices and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) within facilities to ensure the highest standards for their customers. Tahmaseb, the newly-appointed secretary-general of MENALAC, said, “While there is no doubt that the post-COVID-19 world will bring with it changes and new measures that we all as an industry are responsible to adopt whilst we continue to offer and deliver amazing experiences, memorable days out and above everything else fun. “I am confident that the industry will rebound quickly and those who are willing to adopt ‘Best Practice’ procedures will be able to resume welcoming their customers with confidence very soon. “It is at times like this that an association like MENALAC becomes truly relevant for an industry, I know for a fact that the team at MENALAC have been working extremely hard behind the scenes to ensure their members are supported in multiple ways as they prepare to re-open their venues. “MENALAC is already a fantastic association aimed at supporting, educating, and uniting the industry within the MENA region. My aim is to work with my team to continue this crucial support for our members as we continue to grow. “Despite the present circumstances, I am very much looking forward to working with my team and our dedicated committees to continue the development of MENALAC, Together we can achieve so much and my ultimate goal is to ensure that we are always the ‘Go-To’ association for the leisure industry in the MENA region. “I would like to thank the MENALAC Board for their confidence in my ability to lead the industry. I thank Vivekanand who led and guided MENALAC very successfully from zero and developed it as an industry force to reckon with. He had a wonderful track record and has lined up a number of impressive initiatives that will be tough for anyone to match. I look forward to carry on with the legacy and build from there.” MENALAC is a regional trade council for the leisure entertainment attractions industry that provides a platform for the industry to represent itself as one. It improves operating standards via educational forums and represents the industry to authorities and regulatory bodies in the MENA region. — SG